Privacy Policy

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We keep your information safe. We follow HIPAA and Maryland laws. We won’t share your info without your permission except when required by law. 

Effective Date: February 4, 2019

1. Introduction - Feel Better Behavioral Health (“Practice,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal and health information. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you receive services from us, whether in person at our Hampstead, Maryland office or through telehealth anywhere in the state of Maryland. This policy applies to both adults and minors.

2. Protected Health Information (PHI) - As a health care provider, we are required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and Maryland law to maintain the confidentiality of your Protected Health Information (PHI). PHI includes information that identifies you and relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health and the health care services you receive.

3. How We Collect Information - We may collect information directly from you or your authorized representative when you:

• Schedule an appointment or complete client intake forms. 
• Participate in therapy, psychiatric evaluation, or medication management sessions.
• Use our client care portal or telehealth platform.
• Communicate with us via phone, fax, email, or other means.
   

For minors, we collect information from parents, guardians, or legally authorized representatives as permitted by law.

4. How We Use and Disclose Information - We may use and disclose your PHI for the following purposes:

• Treatment: To provide, coordinate, or manage your health care, including sharing information with other providers involved in your care.
   
• Payment: To obtain reimbursement from insurance companies, health plans, or other payors.
   
• Health Care Operations: To support business operations such as quality assessment, staff training, licensing, accreditation, and compliance.
   
• Required by Law: When disclosure is mandated by federal, state, or local law.
   
• Public Health and Safety: To report abuse or neglect, prevent or reduce serious threats to health or safety, or comply with communicable disease reporting requirements.
   
• Minors: In accordance with Maryland law, minors age 16 or older may have certain rights to consent to mental health treatment, and in those cases, parents/guardians may not automatically have access to all records. We comply with applicable Maryland statutes in these situations.
   

We will never use or disclose your PHI for marketing or sale purposes. 

5. Client Rights -  Under HIPAA and Maryland law, you have the right to:

• Access and obtain a copy of your health records, with certain limited exceptions.
   
• Request an amendment to your health records if you believe they are inaccurate or incomplete.
   
• Receive an accounting of certain disclosures of your protected health information.
   
• File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

6. Confidentiality and Minors in Maryland - 

• Minors aged 16 and older may consent to clinic based mental health treatment without parental involvement. In such cases, disclosure of records to parents/guardians is limited unless the minor provides consent, except where disclosure is permitted or required by law.
   
• For minors under 16, parents or legal guardians generally control access to the child’s records, except in certain circumstances where disclosure could harm the minor.
   
• In all cases, disclosures will follow Maryland Health–General Article, Title 20, Subtitle 1.
   

7. Safeguards and Technology - We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your PHI, including:

• Secure electronic health record (EHR) system with access controls.
   
• Encrypted telehealth sessions and client care portal communications.
   
• Regular staff training in HIPAA compliance and privacy practices.
   

8. Retention of Records - We maintain all records in accordance with Maryland regulations:

• Adult records are retained for at least 5 years after the last date of service.
   
• Minor records are retained for at least 3 years after the client turns 18, but no less than 5 years after the last date of service.
   

9. Third-Party Services - If you access external websites, resources, or portals linked from our website, please note that those services are governed by their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party sites.

10. Changes to This Policy - We reserve the right to update or revise this Privacy Policy at any time. Updates will be posted on our website with a revised effective date.

11. Cookies, Analytics & Website Tracking - We use cookies and similar technologies to collect usage data on our website. This helps us understand how visitors use the site and improve its functionality and performance.

• The analytics data we collect is anonymized – it does not personally identify you.

• We use Google Analytics. Google may process certain information (IP address, pages visited, how long users stay, etc.) in accordance with its privacy policies.

• You may decline non-essential cookies (analytics or tracking) via the cookie banner or by adjusting your browser settings. Declining these cookies does not prevent you from using most features of the site. 

12. Third-Party Processing - We may share limited information with third-party service providers who support our operations (e.g., website hosting, analytics, maintenance). These providers are contractually required to protect your information and may not use it for their own purposes.
 

13. Retention of Non-PHI Usage Data - We retain certain website usage (analytics) and log files for a varying amount of time depending on the business need.
 

14. Your Choices Regarding Cookies and Tracking - You may choose not to allow non-essential cookies or tracking. If you decline, some analytics features may be disabled, but the website will remain usable. Instructions to change your preferences are available via the cookie banner or in your browser settings. 

15. Contact Us - If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, your rights, or how we handle your information, please contact us at:

Feel Better Behavioral Health
1005 S. Main Street, Suite 201
Hampstead, MD 21074

Phone: (410) 941-8488
Fax: (410) 941-8994